THERMAREST & MSR: Sale! 30% Off all MSR Tents and Thermarest Sleeping Bags including the award-winning Parsec 0! The tearing up of my clothes is a real issue for me and sadly this is not the bag for me – I expected so much more, not only from the bag but the brand. Osprey took years to release the women’s version of the Exos (the Eja in 2018 ), so we were happy to see that they launched this newer design in both men’s and women’s-specific models. The Osprey Lumina is offered in the same 45- and 60-liter capacities as the Levity but differs with teal accents on the webbing and cord, smaller torso and waist belt sizes, and tweaks to the shape of the shoulder straps and hipbelt. We haven’t had a chance to test the Lumina just yet, but would expect it to be just as strong of a performer on fast-and-light trips.

I did notice I had to tighten the hipbelt a bit more than I did with the Exos; however, it wasn’t enough to leave marks, and it didn’t feel constricted – just a bit tighter for about 15 minutes, then I didn’t notice it at all. My only real concern is what happens when I have to add an extra two liters of water to carry to a dry camp. However, that’s normally only for a couple of hours – but it’s at the end of the day, generally, when I’m getting tired. I’m pretty confident it will be OK, but it remains to be seen. There is also a 60L Levity available and a women’s specific 45L and 60L equivalent called the Lumina.) The outer fabric hasn't had a sacrifice either, using a tough 210D High-Tenacity Nylon with a ripstop construction, you're guaranteed a bag that can deal with all the abuse you offer it despite it weighing half that of a standard bag. Nylon is the ideal fabric to use for the Levity as it's highly abrasion resistant, lightweight and weather resistant.Despite the relatively heavy and rigid suspension system the waist belt was collapsing with a 25lb load and most of the weight was on my shoulders.

Loading the Levity 45 was a little challenging at first because it’s narrower at the top—the only loading point—than it is at the bottom. This makes it feel a little smaller than the stated 45 liters. Once I realized this, I just had to be a little more strategic in arranging my gear from the bottom up to fully utilize the space. This was fine—I just took to loading it like playing a game of Tetris. Ultimately, I ended up having no problem fitting everything I needed for several days on the trail. Side tension straps are linked to the hipbelt. By tightening these straps you can stabilise the load but reduce the hipbelt flexibility. Where balance is critical tightening them can help you feel more secure. However, if you are striding out over easy terrain it’s better to loosen these straps to allow full hip flexibility.

Closing Thoughts